Scraper with pivoted closure means to admit earth from blade



Dec. 9, 1969 A. BUCHLI SCRAPER WITH PIVOTED CLOSURE MEANS TO ADMIT EARTH FROM BLADE Filed Feb. 2, 1968 mvaw'rozz.

ARNOLD BUCHL/ I BY ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 37129 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An earth moving device comprising a scraper blade and, adjacent the upper edge of the blade, a materialreceiving hopper with a sloped front having an opening and a closure therefor in said front, the closure preferably being provided with offset-piano-type hinge means at its upper edge and reinforcing plate means at its lower edge.

This invention relates to a hopper for receiving and carrying material, and to an improved closure device for such a hopper. In one aspect, the invention relates to a hopper having an outwardly sloped front with an opening in said front, and a novel closure means for said opening.

In the art of earth moving, scraper blades are well known for levelling or otherwise rearranging soil, earth, and other solid materials. Such scraper blades are typically carried by a wheeled or tracked vehicle which can be self-propelled or, alternatively, pushed or pulled by other motive power. As the scraper blade passes along through the material being moved, the material passes upward on the face of the scraper blade, and can accumulate there.

According to the present invention, there is provided a material receiving hopper adapted to receive that material which passes up the front of the scraper blade, and to transport such material to a desired discharged point. Although in the drawing the hopper is shown as being provided with a trapezoidally shaped opening and closure therefor; it will be obvious that other shapes, such as rectangular, are suitable.

Further understanding of the invention will be gained by study of the accompanying drawing, and the following description thereof. FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic representation of an earth moving device incorporating the improved hopper of the present invention. FIGURE 2 is a view of the interior of the front hopper wall, and FIGURE 3 is a section taken through the wall of FIG- URE 2.

In FIGURE 1, item indicates a scraper blade, as known in the earth moving art. Suitable means 11 are provided for raising and lowering the scraper blade with respect to wheels 12, such as mechanical or hydraulic power devices. A hopper indicated generally as 13 is provided adjacent the upper edge of scraper blade 10. The entire assembly of FIGURE 1 can be pushed or drawn by suitable motive power, or alternatively can be self-propelled. The assembly can, of course, be provided with more than two wheels, or can be provided with tracks or treads. The front wall 14 of hopper 13 is sloped forward as shown, and is provided at its lower region with an opening 15.

As best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the opening 15 in front wall 14 is trapezoidal in shape. FIGURE 2 is an elevation of front wall 14 as seen from inside the hopper. Opening 15 is provided with a corresponding closure 16, which is hinged at its short parallel edge to the front wall by hinge assembly 17. This hinge assembly preferably comprises a plurality of relatively short, hollow tubular members, such as pieces of pipe or tubing, of which alternate pieces are fastened, as by welding, to closure 16, and the remaining alternate pieces are fastened to the edge of wall 14 as shown. A rod or bar passed through all the tubular members completes the hinge. Closure 16 is preferably provided with a reinforcing plate 18 fastened along its long parallel edge. The opening is further provided with stops 19 which prevent the closure from swinging downwardly through opening 15.

As can be seen in FIGURE 3, a section along line 3--3 of FIGURE 2, hinge 17 is preferably offset such that the upper edge of closure 16 is displaced outwardly of .the plane of front wall 14. Also, wear reinforcing plate 18 is preferably mounted in the manner shown, i.e., the lower edge of closure 16 is bent outwardly, and plate 18 is secured, as by welding, thereto.

In operation, trash or other material accumulating at the upper edge of blade 10 pushes closure 16 inwardly of the hopper and can thus pass into the hopper, When hopper 13 has received a sufiicient load of material, the weight of the material forces closure 16 against stops 19 and, prevents its egress through opening 15. At this time, the entire hopper assembly can be unloaded at the desired spot, as by tilting or otherwise dumping, by mechanism not shown. The offset arrangement of binge 17 prevents excess travel by closure 16. Wear reinforcement plate 18 can be made of harder material than the remainder of hopper 13. The scraper efliciency is materially increased by the presently disclosed arrangement of hopper and closure, in that trash and loose soil build-up in front of the scraper blade is alleviated. The power necessary to operate the scraper is accordingly reduced.

Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of this disclosure.

What is claimed is:

1. In a material moving device wherein a scraper blade is adapted to direct scraped matter from an upper region of said blade to a receiving hopper, the improvement which comprises: a forward wall of said hopper having an opening therein, said opening being trapezoidal in outline and the short parallel side of said trapezoid comprising the upper edge of said opening, said forward wall being sloped forward at its top and rearward at its bottom, said opening being adjacent said upper region of said blade; closure means for said opening, said closure means being trapezoidal in outline and the short parallel side of said trapezoid comprising the upper edge of said closure means, said closure means being provided at its upper edge with hinge means comprising a plurality of short tube-like pieces fastened alternatively to said closure means and said forward wall such that the upper edge of said closure means is offset outwardly of said forward wall and said closure means is adapted to swing inwardly into said hopper; reinforcement plate means along the outer surface of the long parallel side of the trapezoid of said closure means; and stop means secured to said forward wall adjacent the lower portion of the side portion of said opening thereby cooperating with said closure means to prevent scraped matter from exiting through said opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 334,497 1/1886 Welch 37-129 2,528,741 1l/1950 Clark 37--129 2,657,481 11/1953 Larsen 37124 2,927,385 3/ 1960 Blomquist 37ll7.5

EDGAR S. BURR, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

